


At the Con

by amynorth_wannabewriter



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Also bicycles are cool and important, Cinderella Elements, Cutesy, F/M, Force Bond Shenanigans, Fun though, God don't let Adam Driver read this, I love mind reading couples, I'll never be able to look him in the eye, It's basically my dream Adam Driver meeting, Like so cute it will make you sick, Or his wife, Sort of the Force but not really, The characters wouldn't shut up in my head so here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 17:17:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21122411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amynorth_wannabewriter/pseuds/amynorth_wannabewriter
Summary: Steeling herself against the onslaught of the crowd, Rey began making her way to the room where she was supposed to meet Ben Solo. The actor was currently sitting for his Interstellar Wizards panel. For convenience's sake (his, she supposed) the interview room was in a small room connected to the panel hall.All he had to do was take a bow, and step into the next room from the stage — easy.All Rey would have to do to get to the interview, was wade through several hundred rabid, cosplaying fans — who were all hoping to snap a quick photo of their favorite stars without paying a photo fee. Once through, she would have to make her way to security, show them her pass, and somehow get through the door without allowing a flood of humanity to rush in behind her. And THEN, she would have to collect her thoughts enough to interview the one star she had a horrible, blushing, schoolgirl crush on, without completely making a fool of herself in the process. That was nowhere near easy...





	1. Chapter 1

Rey shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, her press pass dangling on a lanyard around her neck. It had been a 2 hour bus ride from her apartment in South Philly to the Convention Center in Atlantic City. She wasn’t feeling tired or even that frustrated yet — she was thrilled to get an interview scheduled with Ben Solo. The actor was tall, dark and awkwardly handsome (if unusual and strong-featured). He’d scored the role of the anti-hero of the latest blockbuster hit sci-fi/fantasy movie, Interstellar Wizards, as the tortured space wizard James Orbit. However, the fact that the interview had to happen at a sci-fi/fantasy convention (CON, she reminded herself, it’s a con) was making her edgy and nervous. Large crowds made her tense… and tired. Too many people, too much noise. 

Too many emotions at play.

Rey was nowhere near a psychic, or anything of the sort. She could not see the future, or pick lucky numbers. She was simply… aware. She had always been that way, able to feel the emotions of those around her. She hadn’t known that there was a name for what she was until she was an adult - an empath.

One of her kinder foster moms used to say that Rey was like an emotional sponge — picking up on everything around her. It was a shame she couldn’t have stayed in that home longer, but her foster mother’s brute of a husband had made that impossible. 

Rey’s awareness had helped steer her out of very dangerous situations in the past. It had also brought her into danger. Rey had always been the sort of person to help someone more helpless than herself.

Steeling herself against the onslaught of the crowd, Rey began making her way to the room where she was supposed to meet Ben Solo. The actor was currently sitting for his Interstellar Wizards panel. For convenience's sake (his, she supposed) the interview room was in a small room connected to the panel hall. 

All he had to do was take a bow, and step into the next room from the stage — easy. 

All Rey would have to do to get to the interview, was wade through several hundred rabid, cosplaying fans — who were all hoping to snap a quick photo of their favorite stars without paying a photo fee. Once through, she would have to make her way to security, show them her pass, and somehow get through the door without allowing a flood of humanity to rush in behind her. And THEN, she would have to collect her thoughts enough to interview the one star she had a horrible, blushing, schoolgirl crush on, without completely making a fool of herself in the process. That was nowhere near easy...

Damn her editor. Amilyn knew exactly what she was doing when she arranged this assignment — she had seen Rey’s computer wallpaper featuring Ben in some rather revealing shots from previous movies. Amilyn could have set her up with any number of stars from the movie, but she’d set her up with Ben. 

Rey had interviewed quite a few heavy hitting stars before. She had felt at ease talking with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks (really nice guy, offered her half of his sandwich when he realized she wasn’t eating, and played it off by saying the carbs would mess up his blood sugar later). Amilyn Holdo had set up those interviews. It was a real mark of trust, that she allowed her cub reporter to take on such big names - though, she supposed, those big names were so good at interviewing after all these years, Amilyn could have probably sent a list and a camera and asked them to email the interview back. Hell, it was a mark of trust that she had even been hired, but Amilyn had loved her freelance writing samples and Rey was willing to work cheaply.

Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks were a big deal, but they weren’t Ben Solo. Ben Solo, whose movies had been keeping her company nearly every night for the last two years. Ben Solo, the Marine-turned-actor who launched his own initiative to do theater for the military. Ben Solo, whose dark eyes and gorgeous lips haunted her dreams at night.

Yes, some people had referred to his face as “human origami”, but she thought his prominent nose, wide cheekbones, full lips, and piercing eyes were irresistible. He had a way of really bringing a character to life, almost coming right off the screen with the intensity of his acting. Best of all, Rey had a feeling that what he showed the audience was only about 10% of what was actually going on - he had a depth to all of his characters, even when he played a bumbling, goofy, small town cop that couldn’t manage to ask a girl out. 

And. AND. He was so tall. 6’3”. Rey, at 5’7” wasn’t exactly huge, but there were many guys that she was simply be eye-to-eye with in flats, and it was her private fantasy to be able to lean back on a broad, muscled chest, without worrying that she was going to head-butt the guy in the face.

She mused further, as she pushed her way past several girls in metal bikinis and two guys in plastic armor. Then, there was his VOICE. Dear lord, if the late Alan Rickman had been American, it would have come close to his deep, resonant rumble of a voice. In fact… was that him? 

Rey was getting close to the panel room door, and she heard a small hesitation after a question was asked, a deep rumble in response, and a roar of laughter. Yep. She didn’t need to hear the individual words to recognize that voice - it had inspired her to buy a proper subwoofer for her TV. Then she heard another voice, a bit higher but still masculine, and the laughter grew. She knew that voice too - it was one of his co-stars, Luke Skywalker, who had begun the Interstellar Wizards series decades before, and had made a tidy living doing voice-over work in the following years. It sounded like he was using his “Mad Clown” character voice, and the audience was lapping it up.

The crowd outside the door grumbled audibly as they could hear the fun they were missing by not having tickets. The mass of people pressed closer to the doors in an effort to hear better, and for a heart stopping moment Rey thought that her feet were leaving the ground because of the crush of people pressing in all around her. She looked around frantically, spotted a small gap to her left, and bolted through, stumbling into a tiny gap right next to her goal — the door to her interview room. 

She gasped, held up her press pass, and the security officer started to open the door. Before she could make her way through the door, a fan who had obviously been drinking (and whose belly hung out over the belt of his gladiator costume) realized someone was gaining entrance. “Hey! We can get in this way!”, he bellowed, loudly enough for half the crowd to hear. Rey’s face went pale, and she felt the shock go through the guard’s body. He was not prepared for this — part-time guard work was not worth getting killed over. The guard did his best to usher her through the door, where Rey fell on her hands and knees, then was nearly crushed by 10 people who had rushed the guard before he could shut the door. She managed a quick scream as she was rolled over, then an elbow slammed into her forehead, the back of her head cracked against the tile floor, and she saw stars.

***

Ben and the rest of the cast finished the panel to thunderous applause. A lot of the applause was directed at Luke, he thought. Not only did he have decades worth of cred with this fan base, he was an unabashed ham who loved to play with the crowd. Not that Ben didn’t like the crowd, it was just that these movie release promotional appearances (especially at cons) were a constant drone of the same questions and the same jokes, over and over. 

He quietly thanked his co-workers, including his female lead, Liss, who played Elia in the film. The latest movie had pushed their characters to a steamy, romantic point, and nearly a third of the audience was wearing some copy of Liss’s gossamer costume from that scene. He was grateful that the only man wearing what HE had on was looking more comfortable than he would have been in a crowd. Nothing wrong with a Speedo and a cape, he supposed, but a bit more exposed than he’d like to be in public. 

Ben checked the conference timetable on his phone — he had another interview in five minutes. Thankfully, it was in a tiny adjacent room to the panel hall. He waved goodbye to his co-stars as they left through the service entrance, opened the door to the little interview room, and stepped into what looked like a nightmare. Apparently, the crowd outside the hall had figured out that there was an alternate entrance. Ben was close to pulling the door shut and locking it when he spotted a woman at the bottom of the pile, being crushed by at least five crazed fans, with five more behind them. He heard her let out a quick scream, and then there was a thud that made his stomach lurch.

It wasn’t even a decision to act. It was a moral imperative. He stormed into the room, his eyes flashing, as he growled “What’s going on? Get them out of here! Is anyone hurt?”

The security guard who was handling the crush, single handedly, looked at Ben with wide, panicked eyes. It had been a while, but Ben knew that look from his time in the Marines — this guy couldn’t do it on his own. Ben rushed toward the pile of people, some of whom saw the rage in his eyes, decided that they suddenly DIDN’T want to meet Ben Solo that much after all and scuttled backward. Others needed a quick hand up and firm directions to the door. The last drunk on the pile over the slim brunette had the nerve to ask for his autograph as he was ejected from the room. The guard muttered his thanks and secured the door. 

Dear God. To have a person injured because of a fucking movie. Ben bent over her, and spotted her press pass — this was the journalist he was supposed to meet with? Fuck. The poor woman was just here to do her damn job, and she got trampled because some maniacs wanted an autograph. He read the name — Rey Vivi. Unusual. And she was… pretty. Granted, he was around Hollywood types all the time, beauty was almost a given in every woman you looked at. But she looked pretty in a way that had nothing to do with grooming, plastic surgery, or makeup. In fact, she didn’t seem to be wearing makeup — well, maybe a touch of mascara and lip gloss. He wore more than that on camera. She had a reddish welt on her forehead, and her eyes were pinched shut in pain. Maybe he should get help from the medics in the main hall… he looked up at the door, and realized how risky it would be to allow the mob to see this little hiding place again. He did remember some basic first aid training, and decided that rather than risk opening the doors again to get the EMTs right away, he’d check to see how badly she was injured. “Ms. Vivi? Can you hear me?” 

***

Rey had heard a deep voice saying “What’s going on? Get them out of here! Is anyone hurt?”, followed by a sudden absence of crushing people on her. Everything was still all bright, flashing lights and a horrible roar of sound, but she felt a large, cool hand gently probing the bump on her forehead. That’s right, these events had medical personnel everywhere. Must be an EMT who saw what was happening and jumped into action.

“Ms. Vivi? Can you hear me?”

“It’s Rey…” she croaked. “I can hear you.”

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Good lord, she must have hit her head hard. She was hallucinating that the EMT who must be helping her had Ben Solo’s voice. 

“The...the back. Of my head. It hit the floor, I think.” His fingers moved through her hair, gently testing, and finding a lump. “Ow? Yeah, I guess I did. How did you get here so fast?”

“I was in the next room.” His fingers found her wrist, taking her pulse quietly for a moment. “Can you open your eyes for a moment? I just want to see if your pupils are constricting properly.”

Rey struggled to open her eyes, and decided that this was a pretty damn good hallucination. The guy even LOOKED like Ben Solo. He took a cell phone out of his pocket, fiddled with it for a minute until he turned on the flashlight feature, and shone the light toward her eyes, then away. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because he put the phone back and asked her to sit up.

Rey tried, but was too dizzy to get up on her own, so the Ben-hallucination/EMT helped her with a strong arm behind her back. Unable to resist (and it wasn’t like it was really HIM, so what did it matter - EMTs must be used to all sorts of odd behavior) she leaned her head against his shoulder and took a deep breath. She thought she heard him catch his breath for a moment, but dismissed it. Wow, he smelled good — sort of warm, with a touch of… sandalwood? Sage? And what a nice shoulder this was — great for leaning on. She wondered if he was local — maybe she could get his phone number later. 

Rey hummed contentedly for a moment, and heard a soft chuckle. She tried to turn her head to see him, but was overcome by another wave of dizziness and closed her eyes again. 

“Whoa,” she groaned. “I guess it’s a good thing you guys are stationed all over at these cons. I bet people have medical emergencies all the time here.” 

Her hallucination froze for a moment. 

“Everything alright?” Rey queried. 

“Sure.” He amended after a moment. “Okay, I don’t know if this is going to work, but you don’t seem to have a spinal injury, and this floor is really uncomfortable. There’s a couch 15 feet to your right — do you see it?” Rey peeked out of the corner of her eye, not wanting to risk turning her head, or even opening her eyes all the way.

“Mmm - looks comfy.” She heard another chuckle. 

“Do you think we can get you over there?”

Rey shrugged. “You’re the boss,” she told him. “If you think it’s safe to move, I’ll give it a shot.”

Rey heard him clear his throat gruffly before answering. “Uh… Well… let’s get you up, then.”

“Sure, Let me just find my feet. I’m sure I had them when I came in.” That got a sudden laugh from the medic, and Rey felt a pulse of surprise and amusement come from him. 

Rey could usually stand from a kneeling position easily, even with an armload of books, laundry, or her friend Rose’s toddler - it was a fluid, practiced motion. She forgot that standing swiftly while dizzy was a bad idea, and went from sitting on the floor to standing (wobbling) in one quick movement. EMT/Ben popped up right behind her, put one arm around her waist, and took her hand. 

Rey made it three steps. 

The world whirled again, her knees buckled, and suddenly she felt her feet leave the ground… but she didn’t fall. Before she could sink toward the ground, his arm was under her knees and he had her curled into a strong pair of arms and a warm, broad chest. If her head didn’t hurt so much, this could be one of the best moments she’d had in years. Geez, how desperate must I be? She wondered. 

***

Ben was grateful he already had his arm around her — he could feel her head rush coming on himself right before her knees buckled, and he bent quickly to grab her before she could fall to the ground once more. She was fairly tall, but she didn’t seem to have a spare pound on her — she felt slight and delicate in his arms even though he could see she had some good muscle definition, and he found it harder than it should be to put her down properly. He frowned in concern: she was clearly a little confused at the moment - she thought he was a medic. He glanced down - he was wearing a simple black sweater and black slacks, but he supposed in the confusion she might have mistaken it for the navy blue EMT uniform. She had barely been able to open her eyes earlier, anyhow.

She seemed so relaxed with him. Calm. That wasn’t something he got to experience much anymore — when he met someone new these days, it was either star-struck fluttering or a subtle power play dick measuring contest among other Hollywood folks. He did his best to be kind to the star-struck, unless they were drunken assholes flattening people, but the dick measuring got on his nerves. Generally he just let the other superstar feel more important - being a big shot in Hollywood wasn’t his main goal, anyway. Meeting someone new, though, and hearing her talk to him like an old friend? That was… nice. 

Ben decided that he wasn’t going to outright lie, but as long as she thought he was just Mr. Medic, he’d play along. It was probably better for her mental state, anyway, he reasoned. That way she wouldn’t stress about the interview she was supposed to do. Fuck, they were going to have to reschedule! When the hell would he work her in? Never mind. Let Hux figure that out — it was his job. Ben would be damned if he was going to shortchange her interview because an idiot nearly gave her a concussion.

***

Rey sighed as the medic carefully laid her on the couch, propping her up with a pillow. She heard him pull up an armchair to sit next to her. The world dipped and turned once or twice, and finally settled. Rey groaned and put her arm over her eyes.

“How bad is the pain? Any nausea?” Didn’t EMTs work in pairs? Where was the guy with the gurney? And come to think of it, how had he gotten there so quickly?

“It’s… not so bad, really. No nausea. It was the dizziness that was throwing me off, and that’s settling down now. I’m just freaking out because I’m supposed to be conducting an interview any minute, and I’m not sure I’m going to be at my best after hitting my head.”

“I’m sure they can reschedule. Maybe you should just rest. Do you have a room that I could help you get to. Are you staying at the hotel?” 

Rey snorted. “I couldn’t afford that. I live in Philly, and I was just going to take the bus home after I wrapped up here. Rescheduling is going to be a major pain.”

“Well, obviously we can’t send you home on the bus in this condition. Is there someone I can call? Family, boyfriend, husband?” He paused. “Girlfriend?”

Rey scoffed under her breath. “No. Nobody that could help.” Rose was her emergency contact, but she had her two year old to worry about, and she and her husband Finn were as broke as she was - no way was she going to let them try to drive their rattletrap car all the way to Atlantic City, risking a breakdown and costing a bundle in gas and tolls.

“Can I call you a taxi? Uber?” He sounded agitated that she didn’t have someone to help her. That was just part of her life that she had grown used to, so when people were bothered by it, it sometimes took her by surprise. 

“With Con surge pricing? Good God! No, I’m going to be fine!” She tried to sit up to prove her point, but immediately needed to lay back down. She kept her eyes clamped shut - it helped with the dizziness and the glare.

“Maybe an ambulance…” he moved to get his phone out of his pocket. Crap!

“My insurance doesn’t cover ambulances. I’d rather not end up with a $2,000 bill for a taxi ride with oxygen tanks.” There was a reimbursement plan through work, but it would still mean covering the bill until the check cleared, and she didn’t have the money.

She heard an exasperated sigh from somewhere beside her head. Damnit, she wasn’t made of money! She had finally put together a teeny emergency fund, but that $200 would be blown by a surge Uber before she got halfway home.

Rey continued, her arm still firmly clamped over her eyes. “The worst part is I have to interview Ben Solo, of all people!” 

There was a long pause. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing, really, except he’s the one and only star that I have an intense, stupid, schoolgirl type crush on, and I’ll have to figure out how to talk to him without making a total ass of myself. I mean, even my boss knows about this damn crush, and she still insisted on setting up the interview. I swear, if I survive this, I’m going to kill Amilyn!” she ground out.

“Intense schoolgirl crush, huh?” He was laughing at her. Heck, that wasn't fair. She was a 26 year old woman, she had been on her own… well, all her life, in a sense. Rey had been making her own way in the world since she turned 18. She had dated actual men, even if they were somewhat disappointing, but in the last 6 months it had just been her, her stack of Ben Solo DVDs, and a somewhat overused vibrator. “You know, I can’t see the appeal,” he continued. “I think he’s pretty weird looking.”

“No way! I mean, he has some really strong features, but that’s part of what I like about him. He looks… real. Not like the Hollywood fake pretty boys. And he has a fantastic smile, and this deep, resonant voice, and he’s so tall, and he has such big hands…” Oh my gosh, Rey, shut up, she thought. No one needs to know what you’ve imagined those hands doing. Besides, you’re probably killing your chances with this medic - he seems like such a nice guy.

“Hmm. I guess they are pretty big. I don’t think you need to worry about being able to speak coherently for the interview, though. You’re doing fine right now.”

Rey thought about that for a moment. True, her head was pretty clear now, and she had done interviews with worse headaches than the one she was currently suffering. The problem was that the kind of muddled thinking she was worried about, had nothing to do with her injury.

“Well, of course I’m coherent right now - I’m talking to you, not Big Ben.” He coughed in surprise. “You’re a guy - wait - are you straight?”

He choked for a moment. “As a matter of fact, yes. Exclusively.” 

“Ok, I just wanted to make sure I was painting the picture right when I explain. What’s the last movie you watched with a really hot woman in it?” She heard him hum for a moment in consideration.

“Some Like it Hot,” he replied.

“Really? Classic. So, Marilyn Monroe?”

He chuckled before answering. “Jack Lemmon in drag.” 

Rey cracked up, snorting with laughter. She could feel him grinning from the armchair.

“My point is… let’s say there’s some star that you’ve been really into for a while, and you’ve collected their movies, and watched every scene, and then you started imagining things that would happen if you were in those scenes with them. And let’s say that since you’re single, your imagination runs a bit wild with some of the steamy scenes. And then you find yourself in a position where you have to look that person in the eye, ask them all sorts of probing questions, and somehow not seem like a creepy stalker fan who’s going to steal their underwear.”

“Uh… was that in your plans? Stealing underwear?”

“No! I’m just saying — it’s a weird imbalance. He doesn’t know me from Adam, and I’ve pictured him naked — I feel like I’ve been doing things to him without permission or something.” The medic coughed next to her, but she could feel that it was to cover a laugh. She smiled under the curve of her arm. “It’s OK if you laugh. It’s funny, in a stupid, cringy sort of way.”

“No, I get it. I’ve… met a few people in the past that I had pictured in, shall we say, naughty ways, and had to act like a professional around them. You’re right - it’s very weird and uncomfortable.”

They were both quiet for a moment.

“Big Ben, huh?”

She laughed. “Shut up. It’s just an internet nickname.”

“Sounds like a regular guy might have trouble competing with that.” Was he being insecure? She couldn’t tell - he just sounded amused.

“Well, I don’t know many women that could compete with Jack Lemmon in drag, so you could say you set the bar pretty high yourself.” They both sat quietly for a moment, grinning smiles unseen by the other.

“What do you usually do in your off time, Rey?” He obviously wanted a change of subject. 

“Are you trying to keep me talking?” Rey inquired. 

“Sort of — I want to hear if you sound rational on other topics, since celebrity crushes tend not to be rational, and I want to make you don’t fall asleep. That could be dangerous. So, when you’re not writing articles about actors that you have stalker tendencies for, what do you do?”

“I’m not a stalker!” she exclaimed, though she was grinning. “I, um…” she had to think. “...I work with Neighborhood Bike Works, in Philly.”

When the medic didn’t say anything, she continued.

“It’s a bicycle co-op that takes donated bikes and refurbishes them. We teach kids how to repair their own bikes, we give people a chance to earn a bike through sweat equity, and how to ride safely. I absolutely love it.”

“Really? What do you love most about it?”

“Well, I grew up in foster care. I don’t usually talk about it because nobody needs to hear the whole tragic backstory, but I didn’t have much stuff of my own. One day I found a broken bike, that had been left to be collected as trash. I dragged it home and figured out how to fix it, taught myself to ride it, and I was in love.” 

Rey gestured with her free hand, as she got more into her story. She had always talked with her hands. “Once you have a bike, you — you can go anywhere. For free. You can go to work, school, the library, the museum on free days - you don’t have to scrounge up money for the bus or wait around for someone to drive you. It’s the most liberating thing I’ve ever done, and I try to share that with others.” 

She heard him shifting in his chair, like she had given him something to think about. “More liberating than a car? Don’t you drive?”

“Cars cost a lot of money, you know. Not just to buy a car — the gas, insurance, registration, and parking adds up to about $5,000 a year. That’s a lot of money that I could use for other things.” Not like she had that extra money. She was doing really well if she could treat herself to take out food every other week. “I live in the city - most of the time I can do just fine without a car. Besides, kids can’t drive, and having that freedom is important for them too. I also help moms and dads set up their bike so they can carry their kids to daycare and pick up groceries.” She had done that for Rose and Finn — they kept their car in case of emergencies, but mostly biked with little Ayla everywhere.

“But what about in the cold, and wet weather? I mean, it’s April - didn’t Philly get a blizzard three weeks ago?” He sounded concerned. “I’ve heard of people getting hurt or killed riding their bikes, even in good weather.”

Rey snorted. “Haven’t you heard? There’s no bad weather in the right clothes!” The medic coughed in surprise. Rey shifted against the commercial-grade polyester couch. She was starting to feel a lot better. The dizziness had mostly gone away, and even though her head hurt, she was almost ready to tell this nice guy that his services were no longer required, and maybe give him her business card. That could be a nice opening without being too forward.

“I have heard that phrase, actually, from a drill sergent. In the military, though, the ‘right clothes’ were issued to us. What do you use?” That made sense - a veteran getting a job as an EMT seeded like a natural move.

“My secret weapon is secondhand ski gear. It blocks the wind and keeps me warm and dry. As for injuries, I ride as safely as I can, and I always wear my helmet, even though it’s a pain. It’s not like I’m bombing down mountain paths — funny, did you know Ben Solo broke his sternum that way?” She felt him shift uncomfortably in his seat again. “I ride following traffic laws, and I use bike lanes wherever I can. I have to set a good example for the kids at the co-op.”

“That’s… really cool. I can tell you really like helping others.”

“It’s something I can do to make things better. It feels like the world is shitty enough.”

“Yeah, I feel it too.”

Rey’s eyes flashed open and her entire body went rigid, but she didn’t move her arm away from her eyes yet. She froze. Those words — they were a line from the Interstellar Wizards movie, and Ben Solo had said them in that exact tone of voice. Something had occurred to her.

“You didn’t have a penlight. You used your phone.”

“What?” She thought she felt him flinch next to her.

“EMTs use a penlight to check someone’s eyes. You used your phone. Are you… oh my God… Are you actually…” She lifted her arm from her eyes to see Ben Solo folded into an armchair next to her head, smiling slightly and giving a tiny wave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neighborhood Bike Works is a real thing in Philadelphia. I actually work with a similar group in Harrisburg, PA, called Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg. There are bike co-ops all over the country, if you are ever in need of a new bike or repairs - I suggest you look them up!


	2. Chapter 2

“EMTs use a penlight to check someone’s eyes. You used your phone. Are you… oh my God… Are you actually…” She lifted her arm from her eyes to see Ben Solo folded into an armchair next to her head, smiling slightly and giving a tiny wave. 

Rey made a small choking sound, cleared her throat, and muttered, “I figured I was hallucinating. I’ll… just… die of shame, now, if that’s OK.” Ben laughed at that.

“No, please. It’s OK. No shame deaths needed. And you’ve gotten through the awkward part of admitting you have a crush on someone, which is probably the hardest thing in the world to do. Seriously, though, I’m concerned about your head. Apart from the injury, I think you’ve overblown my appeal.” She glanced around furtively, but they were the only two in the room. 

“Where did everyone go?”

“Well, I had just walked in from the panel to get ready for our interview, only to see you at the bottom of a pile of drunken space wizards and the security guard looking panicked. So we got the pile back on their feet, out the door, and I think you know the rest. If I had known how bad the crowds were getting outside, I would have made sure you had access to the service hallway. It enters right there.” He pointed to another door at the back of the room.

“But how did you get them out… oh, wait. You were in the Marines. I’m sure crowd control and checking for concussions was…” 

“You know about that? Yeah, fairly routine back then. Much less so these days. I’m surprised - most people at these conventions have no idea what I’ve done outside the Interstellar Wizard roles.” He looked down at his hands, which were knotted loosely between his knees.

“Seriously? Even the reporters?” What sloppy work! Rey would never consider taking an interview without researching the subject first.

Ben chuckled. “Especially the reporters. Nobody does research anymore, they’re just sent out with talking points.” 

“I mean, you do great work in IW, but I think your role in that zombie movie where you kept casually breaking the fourth wall was hilarious! And your Theater in the Military work is so powerful.” His eyes lit up. 

“That’s really my passion project, you know.”

“Oh, I know! In fact… Hang on, could I get my recorder out? Even if this isn’t the most professional interview, I don’t want to miss anything.” And I’ll have your voice on record, talking to me, Rey thought.

***

Ben made a snap decision. He wasn’t going to let this encounter end yet, and he wanted to make sure she got the best damn interview her editor had ever seen. He was scheduled to go to the screening of IW in two hours, but as he had continually reminded Hux, he refused to watch his own work. The only other thing he had intended to do tonight was the interview and dinner, and maybe put his feet up and read something that wasn’t a screenplay.

***

“Sure, but why rush? This was my last appointment of the day, and you really shouldn’t go anywhere until we know for sure that you’re not going to black out, so why don’t we get dinner brought in and have a relaxed talk?” Rey’s whole body felt hot and cold. Her literal dream guy was asking her to have dinner with him. A professional dinner, sure, but… whoa.

“That… sounds fabulous. But how will anyone deliver food through that crowd out there? I think I heard someone physically throw themselves at Luke Skywalker out there just a minute ago.” 

“Yeah, I heard that too — poor guy. He isn’t as young as he used to be, either, but he’s good with handling this crowd. The delivery guys would have to use the service hallway. Or we could head up to my suite, if you’d rather.” Rey’s dizziness had nothing to do with her head injury this time. His SUITE? Fuck. Maybe she had better set him straight - she might have a crush, but she was a goddamn professional.

“Look, I know I was gushing about you a minute ago, but… don’t tease me about it, OK? I had no idea it was you at the time, and if you’re planning some sort of easy score, I’m a reporter, I’m not about to...”

Ben interrupted, “If you had known it was me, you would probably would have been terribly nervous talking with me. I’m sorry I didn’t clear that up when I should have, but… you seemed so relaxed, and I didn’t want you to stress after hitting your head. I’m not teasing, and I’m not trying for an easy score — you could still be a dangerous fan who’s going to try to cut off a lock of my hair… or steal my underwear. It actually is just easier to have food delivered upstairs, and I have a nice sitting area. Even a table and chairs.” His face became serious. “I’d really like to talk with you about the Theater in the Military project - you’re the only one who’s even brought it up at this Con, and it gets pretty monotonous answering the same questions over and over.” Rey bit her lips, thinking for a moment. He had a good point. He continued, “You know, if I were teasing, I’d have to tell you this one.” He paused, a small half-smile on his lips, waiting to see if Rey would give him the opening. 

She sighed, “OK, I’ll bite. What?”

“You know what they say about guys with big hands, right?” He held one up, fingers splayed. He looked like he could cover a dinner plate.

Rey flushed even more deeply. Holy double entendre, Batman. “Uh…”

“We have to wear big gloves.” His entire face crinkled up into a huge smile that he rarely showed on camera. “It’s actually a pain - they had to special order the gloves for my costume. I mean, they have to get all sorts of specialty items made for the costumes, but this was weird — they even took measurements, traced my hand on a piece of paper, and sent it off to a glove maker. I hope they won’t mind that I’m keeping them - they’re the best fitting gloves I’ve ever had.”

“I know what you mean - I can’t wear hats.” 

“Really? Your head looks pretty normal. Well, you still have those bumps there, but you don’t look like you’d have to swear off hats.” 

“Well, I mean I can’t wear off-the-rack, pretty women’s hats. Or even most bike helmets. I have a head circumference that’s about 2 centimeters bigger than most women's’ heads, so I have to wear men’s helmets. And I never get to wear a pretty hat. Silly problem, but I know what you mean about the gloves.” 

“No. That’s not silly.” He said decisively. “Now, if you feel like you can get up, we can head to my suite.” Her eyes got wide. “If… if you’d like to, that is.” Rey’s head snapped up — he looked like HE was nervous. How was that even possible? She eyed him warily, and decided that she was going to have to trust him. He had already saved her from being smushed, listened to her, and decided she was trustworthy enough to bring into his room (SUITE!). She could offer the same trust.

“I’d be glad to, if you don’t mind helping me - I’m not sure how steady I’ll be on my feet right now.” 

***

“I don’t mind at all.” Ben was counting on it. He picked up her bag, extended his hand, and waited. It felt like a loaded moment as Rey’s hand moved slowly to grasp his, but eventually her hand touched his. He felt a jolt go up his arm, along with a shy feeling of excitement that he didn’t think was coming from him. Oh, shit. He thought. Not now.

It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to be aware of the feelings of others. Empaths could have a very hard time in certain careers. In the military, and later in the theatre, it could get messy, nerve-racking, and scary. Out of sheer self defense, he had shut down the part of him that felt all the turbulence from others, and tried to act like a normal person. It was easier that way. Smoother. 

The feeling coming from Rey was not a scary one, though. It simply felt… It felt safe. Like he could pick up on this woman’s feelings, and he would feel nothing but her understanding, caring nature. With a sudden chill up his spine at that notion, he tucked her arm into his elbow to keep her steady. As he guided her, he felt his own pleasure in helping her echoing faintly through her, and he recognized with a jolt what was happening. 

Rey was an empath, too.

***

Rey carefully got to her feet, and despite the cracking headache, she actually felt quite stable while holding Ben’s hand. She felt like her skin was buzzing under his touch, which was unusual, but duh, she was touching Ben Solo! She probably could have walked on her own, but she didn’t stop him from tucking her hand into his elbow and letting him lead her down the service hallway, to the elevator, and to his suite door. It felt good, having someone to hold onto when she didn’t feel well. She remembered one of her foster placements where their malevolent son had shoved her down the stairs, she hit her head, and had to crawl to her foster parents, only to be scolded for playing around and sent to bed without dinner. Again.

“So, what would you like to order? They have a decent room service menu here, which we should probably stick to if we want to get food within an hour.” 

Ben shuffled around with her hand and bag for a bit, trying to find his room card in his pocket. He grumbled with frustration that it wasn’t in the first two pockets, and as he checked his other hip pocket he pulled Rey closer to lean against his side. He pushed the door open, and simply wrapped his arm around Rey’s waist to walk with her. Rey was tingling, but even more, she noticed that his oh-so-casual demeanor was accompanied by some shallow, rapid breathing, and the hand that wasn’t around her waist? It was clenched into a fist around her bag handles.

“Anything’s fine. I have a pizza-and-beer sort of taste, so I’m easy to impress.” Who was she kidding? She had frozen pizza and canned beer tastes. She appreciated good food, but she ate what she could afford, and that didn’t often include anything that would be on a room service menu. 

“Would you rather have pizza? I wouldn’t mind. It’ll take longer, but I could research which shops are close enough that they could get through the crowds.” Is he stumbling over himself to offer her something? Rey chanced a quick glance at his face — he seemed flustered.

“Oh no - seriously. Anything is fine. What would you order, if you were alone?” she asked.

“Probably just some steak and salad. The greens here are really good, and they have grass-fed beef.” He handed Rey the take out menu, and she tried (and failed) not to gawp at the prices. 

“Maybe I’ll have the… chicken fettuccine.” Yes, it was the cheapest item on the menu. 

“Seriously, whatever you want — please ignore the prices.” Shit. He had noticed. She had talked an awful lot about the things she couldn’t afford downstairs, though. “I mean, it’s my treat. Have whatever you like.” 

Rey looked at his face, then extended her senses toward him. There was nothing there that said he was going to pull a ‘gotcha’ on her, or resent if she ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. In fact, she had the feeling she could order the whole menu, and he’d be OK with it.

“In that case, add a piece of chocolate cheesecake and a Coke Zero to the order.” Rey offered him a cheeky grin. He gave her a broad smile in return.

“NOW you’re talking.” He turned to call in the order.

***

After dinner (he had the aforementioned steak and salad, but surprised her by ordering a piece of cheesecake for himself, too), they both sat back, feeling relaxed. Rey’s headache was fading to a dull twinge, and Ben looked like he was perfectly content to spend the evening entertaining a strange reporter with a crush and potential concussion. 

Ben cleared his throat suddenly. “I’d offer you some wine, but I don’t know how your head is.”

“It’s feeling much better - I just have a mild headache now. Still, probably smart for me to avoid alcohol for the time being.”

“Ah, true. Well — the interview?” Right. The reason she was here. Rey dug through her bag and pulled out her outdated-but-still-serviceable recorder. “Would you rather sit on the couch?” Ben offered. “It would be more comfortable…”

“Uh… sure? That seems nice.” It seemed increasingly like a date, but Rey wasn’t about to open her mouth and say THAT. She plunked into the corner of the couch, slipping off her ballet flats to tuck a foot underneath her. She stopped suddenly, realizing that some people would find feet on the couch icky, when Ben slipped his own loafers off and sat cross legged on the couch. Rey grinned and sat the same way. Thank goodness she was wearing her casual/dressy uniform of a short dress with leggings - it looked good in the office, wore well through long days, and was as comfortable as pajamas. The deep blue of her dress worked well against her pale skin, and the charcoal gray leggings went with just about everything. She was about to ask the first question on her list when his phone buzzed. 

“Excuse me, let me just see this text…” Ben picked up his phone and scowled. "Really?" He exclaimed loudly. "They knew I wasn't coming. God, they pull this every damn time!" He ran his hand through his hair in annoyance.

“What’s wrong?” He groaned and stretched his arms over his head. The movement pulled his sweater and undershirt up a bit, revealing a thin line of skin above his waistband. Rey quickly looked away, reminding herself that she was here for business, and letting her imagination run away with her would be counterproductive.

“The publicist is asking why I’m not at the screening of the movie. He knows I don’t watch my own films, and they pull this scheduling nonsense at EVERY CON. I think he thinks he’s going to wear me down — not a chance.” Interesting. None of his movies? Rey switched on her recorder and put it on the couch between them, raising an eyebrow as if to ask ‘is this OK?’. Ben nodded.

“You don’t watch your own movies - why is that?”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and running a hard through his hair. “It’s uncomfortable - I see all the changes I would have made, and how I would like to have done things differently. And that’s ultimately not even my call - it’s the directors’ call. My job as an actor was done when they said ‘cut’, and I try to just let go of the moment and work on what’s next. You have to let the past go, otherwise it will eat you up. Also, seeing my big, goofy face 30 feet tall is more than I can imagine anyone putting up with.” Here he gave a crooked grin. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Clearly I like it.” His grin grew wider at that. Rey couldn’t help smiling back, even though she had surprised herself — she couldn’t believe she had just said that, despite the fact that she had tipped her hand earlier. Why not be honest? “You mentioned letting the past go - I understand that’s a theme in some of your Theatre in the Military work.”

“Yes, there are so many personnel that come home with a lot of trauma. Many people find it really hard to talk about it, because the military tends to foster this idea that ‘we’re tough, we can handle it, soldiers aren’t crybabies’. They end up feeling like even if they did talk, no one would understand. Theatre is an ideal medium to help people realize that they aren’t alone in this.” He hitched himself a little closer to Rey as he explained, hands and eyes dancing. “The best thing I hear from people is afterward, they write in and say ‘I was there with my spouse, or with my significant other, and I was able to turn to them and say ‘that’s what I feel’, and they were able to understand’. Or ‘I thought I’d never hear someone talk about what we went through, and it really helped me deal with some things’.” Ben’s jaw clenched for a moment, and a muscle twitched under his eye. “Theatre can turn pain into beauty. That’s what I love.”

Rey’s eyes misted over. This was really moving, and she would include it in the story, but she had other questions that she had to ask. “So…” she cleared her throat and tried again, “So, I’m afraid I have to ask you the questions you’ve been hearing all weekend. You ready?”

Ben heaved a dramatic sigh and sat back a bit. “I suppose,” he said with a small smile.

“And I have to warn you, my editor gave me these questions to ask. Because otherwise, knowing what I said earlier, you’re going to think…” Rey broke off in embarrassment. 

“What?” He tipped his head a little, to look at her more directly.

“I have to ask about your sex scenes in the movie,” she said in a rush. Rey wanted to die. Not only because she had watched the movie already, and mentally cast herself in Liss’s part. She tried to sense what Ben was feeling, but she couldn’t pick out one emotion - it seemed to be a combination of amusement, confusion, and… affection?

“Ah, yes. Me, naked in a cape, tangled up with Liss. What about it?” His hand moved to cover his lips slightly, partially covering a smile.

Rey cleared her throat. Oh, to be a glove on that hand, so she could touch his lips. Down, girl! “Erm… what was the.. Oh. Do you think that having the characters get sexual was the right move? Or did it take things too far?” 

***

Ben gazed at Rey for a moment before answering. He had answered this question quite a few times, but the pat answer he had given before didn’t seem to fit. He had been telling people ‘of course - look at her!’ while Liss would pretend to be embarrassed (she thought it was funny, she told him) and the audience would roar. But for Rey? He would tell her what he really thought.

“I think… that for James and Elia… their characters got to a point where making love was the only logical step. They had their deep wizard connection that was drawing them closer every time the bond activated, and James was clearly head over heels for her. And at the end of the last movie, they had each broken each other’s hearts, which threw them both into a tailspin. Sometimes love is what is needed to make things right again. And physically expressing that love is only natural - so, no. I don’t think it took things too far.” 

Rey’s eyes were wide… and soft. She shifted her weight, tucking both feet to one side under her rear. She looked very affected, and Ben allowed himself another taste of her emotions — she felt so kind, and she was emotionally invested in everything he had told her. Being a reporter was going to be a hard life for her, he mused. She felt everything so powerfully, and seemed to care so deeply about the stories she heard. It might be hard for her to be objective in hard situations. Then again, maybe that’s why she was doing personal interviews with actors - objectivity wasn’t the goal there, telling a good story was the aim.

***

Rey swallowed hard. She had listened in on a few other interviews - this wasn’t the answer he had given before. She was suddenly very aware that he was sitting three feet from her, on a comfy couch, in a private room 10 feet from his bedroom, and she had vividly pictured him doing all sorts of dirty things to her. Her ears turned pink. What was the next question… oh God. Amilyn was going to pay.

“OK — again, not my questions - who are you seeing in your personal life? Is there anyone special? And I know you’re pretty private — I wasn’t really expecting to get an answer on this, so if you say no comment…”

Ben interrupted her. “I’m not seeing anyone, Rey. I haven’t for a while.” His eyes seemed to be looking right through her.

Before Rey could stop herself, she muttered, “Me neither.” Her eyes flashed up to his, wide with alarm that she had said she hadn’t had a date in a while. It wasn’t like he didn’t already know that she was single - he had asked if there was anyone he should call to pick her up when she got hurt. Admitting that she hadn’t had a date in a while, though — that felt like admitting she was a loser. Chagrin washed over her, and she looked down at her recorder, finding it much easier than looking at Ben while he gazed at her so intently.

Ben’s hand reached out slowly, gently, and covered Rey’s as it rested on her knee. Her skin began to buzz again, and the shock of contact opened a flood of emotions — Rey could suddenly feel his interest, serious affection, and now, arousal. He had kept that hidden before. Their eyes met, and she felt a sudden frisson of recognition. She had only ever known one other person with that kind of presence, an elderly neighbor woman in her building named Maz. Maz had a knack for showing up with Chinese food when she would come home, dejected or sad from a rough day, and she was the one who gave her a word for what they were: empaths. Maz, though, as sweet as she was, was still a woman, and Rey wasn’t into women. This feeling of being seen, being understood, coming from a man (a very attractive man) felt like a cosmic realignment of every particle in her body. She bit her lower lip. 

“You… are you... an empath?”

“Yes. And so are you. I realised it when I took your hand to help you walk.” Ben said it so calmly, and with such assurance that she suddenly felt like hugging him. It felt like acceptance.

“Yes… I am. Have you always been like this?”

“I was open to all of it as a kid, but… when I went into the Marines, I couldn’t handle feeling everyone’s stress and fear. I shut myself down, and I didn’t want to bother trying to reopen that ability. It felt easier, being closed off. But tonight… Rey, tonight, I think you woke my senses back up.” Oh God. Not possible. Rey mind was spinning — she had to help him shut back down, otherwise he’d hate her for leaving him vulnerable to the crazy drama of everyone’s emotions, the way she was. But how? She had never been able to do it herself. Maz said it was something she was going to have to live with.

“I’m sorry, Ben — I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’ve only ever met one other empath, and I didn’t know that shutting down was even possible. If I did, I would have done it years ago.” Her voice was panicked, racing.

“No!” His eyes were suddenly fierce, staring into her.

Rey could hardly restrain her shock. No? 

“You did this the right way. Shutting down the sensitivity can only happen if you’re cutting yourself off from other people. Like I did. Rey,” he ground out, looking her in the eyes. “This is a good thing.”

“I don’t understand — how were you cut off? You do so much charitable theatre work, you just said you love turning pain into beauty through art…”

“That doesn’t mean I had any real personal connection with anyone. Everyone has been sort of at arm's length. Even other actors. Do you have any idea how fucked up most actors are, emotionally? No one mentally healthy and well-adjusted gets into this field — keeping people at a distance is just survival.”

Rey had to choke a laugh at that. Her heart was pounding. Very quietly, Ben picked up her recorder, then switched it off, and put it on the coffee table. 

Her hands were trembling, and he took both her hands in his, projecting a calm, gentle feeling toward her. 

“Rey. This is amazing — I can feel that you’re nervous, but I can also feel how caring and good you are. Toward everyone, of course, but… I feel like you even care about me. Me, Ben. As a person — not Big Ben, not James Orbit, Space Wizard. I want you to know that I don’t want to take advantage of you, though. I know you said you have a crush on me, and I don’t want to be an ass about this. But… do you feel what I’m feeling? The connection?”

Rey tried a few times before managing to get words out. “I feel… kindness from you. And affection… and... Did I tell you I’m an orphan?” she blurted out. “I bounced from one foster home to another until I was 18, and managed to get a mechanics apprenticeship out of high school.” She was rambling now, but she needed him to know what she was really like. “I wrote in my spare time until I had enough samples to apply for a writing job. I never went away to college - I found the cheapest online school and did everything at night. I still think I got this job out of some sort of pity hire. I bust my ass to make sure I don’t lose it. I live alone in a shithole apartment, I eat whatever’s cheap, I take the bus or ride my bike because I can’t afford a car, and…” she paused and took a long, shuddery breath, “I’m not fucking Cinderella. There’s no fairy godmother, no way that the handsome prince is going to sweep me away. My reality is gritty, I’m poor, and I spend way too much time thinking about an unattainable actor and wishing he would see me, when it’s not logical or probable. Or possible.”

“Rey.” She wouldn’t look up. “Rey, look at me.” She kept her eyes down. If she looked up, he’d let her hands go, walk her to the elevator, and it would all be over. “Rey, this is real. No fairy godmother is going to take this away. Don’t you feel that?”

“Ben, you live in a very different world. You’ll be gone tomorrow. You travel more in a month than I have in my whole life. You make more money in a day than I do all year. You’ll forget me next week. I come from nothing. I’m nothing.”

“Not to me.” Rey’s eyes flicked up in surprise to see him looking at her like… like she was the sunrise. She couldn’t face such admiration and lowered her eyes again.

Ben couldn’t take anymore. He unfolded his legs, slid his hands up Rey’s arms, and very gently, very deliberately, pulled her into his lap. After a moment of trying to resist, Rey curled against him just as she had downstairs, when he had picked her up as she fell. She nestled against his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth, and very gently, he kissed her temple. She had never felt so well cared for, so well treated. It wasn’t fair. She got to taste this moment, and then she would spend the rest of her life dreaming about it. Ben continued, rubbing his hand up and down her back,

“Rey. I couldn’t forget you. This feels crazy, and fast, and even stupid, but it’s also the sweetest, greatest thing I’ve ever felt. I want you to know that. Please... tell me if you feel it too?” Ben murmured into her ear, making goose flesh rise at the back of her neck. 

An incredible wave of joy swept through her, sending shockwaves through Ben in return, which she could feel in a bizarre feedback loop — he wasn’t kidding. This connection was intense. The hell with pride. The hell with caution. Hadn’t she already put herself on the line earlier, even if she hadn’t meant to?

“Yes, Ben. I feel it.”

His eyes flicked downward to her lips, and her mouth went dry. His lips were right there, so plush and full, and she unconsciously licked her lower lip before biting it. Hesitantly, he brought his hand up to Reys’ cheek, running his thumb along her cheekbone, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear, and finally laying his palm against her cheek. Rey tilted her head into the caress, like a cat wanting to be petted, closing her eyes with pleasure and comfort. She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart, expecting to feel a happy wave of contentment from him, or maybe satisfaction in having made a connection.

Instead, she was jolted by the most sexual, insistent, erotic sensations of her goddamn life.


	3. Chapter 3

His eyes flicked downward to her lips, and her mouth went dry. His lips were right there, so plush and full, and she unconsciously licked her lower lip before biting it. Hesitantly, he brought his hand up to Reys’ cheek, running his thumb along her cheekbone, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear, and finally laying his palm against her cheek. Rey tilted her head into the caress, like a cat wanting to be petted, closing her eyes with pleasure and comfort. She placed her hand on his chest, over his heart, expecting to feel a happy wave of contentment from him, or maybe satisfaction in having made a connection.

Instead, she was jolted by the most sexual, insistent, erotic sensations of her goddamn life.

Her lips parted in a gasp. He was playing it very cool on the surface, taking things slow, giving it time, but dear GOD he was having sexual urges toward her that would shame a porn star. Rey could feel herself beginning to throb, just thinking about him touching her in any other way… and they hadn’t even kissed. 

“How are you keeping yourself under control?!” she blurted. “That’s… intense, there, sir!” 

He huffed a small laugh. “Just like how you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice.”

Rey looked Ben right in the eyes, as she watched him clench his jaw as he wrestled with his feelings. What a wonderful guy, she thought. He’s trying so hard not to scare me off, and to act like a gentleman. She could sense he was restraining himself - she could feel in every pore that he was determined not to take advantage of her. He was not going to make the first move. He was… he felt... uncertain about what Rey would do if he kissed her.

It was the feeling of uncertainty that spurred her to action - she knew what rejection felt like, and she did not want him to experience that at her hands. Not when she wanted him more than she wanted her next breath. She reached up with both hands, took his face in hers, and gently stretched up to kiss him. 

She had heard thunderbolts with less impact.

There were earthquakes that did less to change the landscape.

The moment her lips made contact with his, their bond opened wide, and there was no possible way to hold back. His mouth opened, welcoming her. Her tongue danced with his, and his hands roamed up and down her back restlessly. Sitting sideways across his lap was no way for this to continue - she shifted so she was straddling him, cradling his firm, huge, erection against herself, offering her pressure right where she needed it. 

Ben groaned, and Rey could feel his pulse race faster, keeping time with hers. He slid his hands up her thighs, under her dress, until he had his huge hands on her skin, all over her back. Gripping her against him, he rolled his hips up, giving her the most delicious friction. She moaned softly in pleasure, feeling very much like this was getting out of control, and she didn’t know if she was thrilled or terrified by that idea. Her feelings about that must have been conflicted, because he pulled back from the kiss. His eyes were so dilated they looked nearly black.

“Nothing that you don’t want, OK, Rey? We’re adults. I have a tiny bit of self control left. If we need to take it slow, then nothing has to happen tonight. But I’m going to need to see you again. And again. And eventually I’m going to need to have you in my bed, I’m going to need to eat your pussy, and I’m going to need to make you come over and over, and I really fucking need to have my cock in you. But if you need to wait, we’ll wait.” His eyes were deep and serious, and she could tell he was sincere… but she couldn’t get past his statement. ‘I’m going to need to eat your pussy’. 

Rey shivered at his words — no one had ever said they were going to need to eat her pussy, or make her come. They had barely made the effort. If she wasted this opportunity, yeah, he might be serious about wanting to see her again, but could she take that chance? A lifetime of experience had told her that if she didn’t get while the getting was good, she’d miss out. She was in the arms of the man of her actual dreams, he wanted her, how could she pass on this? 

She took a deep, shaky breath. “Can I tell you a secret?” Rey asked. He nodded. “I wanted to get your number when I still thought you were a medic.” Ben’s face practically glowed with joy - this was her Ben - the one she had dreamed about all those nights. Not James Orbit, Space Wizard - this was Ben, who she had wanted for ages, ever since she had watched his first performance and realized there was so much more to him than what most audiences saw. She mustered her courage and spoke.

“Fuck waiting. I’ve waited long enough for you, Ben. You have no idea how many nights I wished this was reality. I wasn’t moaning because I was nervous — it was because I want you so badly I could scream.” His arms tightened around her.

“Good,” was all he had to say, before pulling her to him again. His mouth came crashing down with a restrained violence, like he had been holding back all night. All YEAR. She opened her mouth, desperate to taste him, and heard him growl his approval as he swept his tongue into her mouth. His lips trailed down her throat, nuzzling her pulse points and sending chills down to her toes. Rey tangled her hands in his hair, luxuriating in how thick and soft it was, and as he trailed back up to her mouth her hands tightened, holding him to her. 

He tugged the hem of her dress up, and she reluctantly broke away from the kiss long enough to get it over her head. She was grateful she had worn one of her prettier bras today — the white lace gave her small breasts a nice send-off. Ben’s eyes somehow stayed on hers, but his hands trailed down, touching her through the lacey material, cupping her easily in his palms, and running his thumbs along the top edge of the material. Rey arched her back, silently pleading for more, and he slipped the cups below her breasts, finally looking down. 

“Ah... perfect. Absolutely perfect.” He groaned before bending his head to lick and kiss around her right areola, teasing, not touching where she wanted… no, needed him to touch. 

“Please…” Rey was desperate. 

“Shh, sweetheart. Patience.” He scolded in a teasing tone. 

“Mmmh... “ He edged closer to the aching point of her nipple, breathing against it, brushing his lips and nose across it. “Please… Ben? Please?” His head snapped up, his eyes dark.

“Oh God, say that again.”

Rey’s brain froze for a moment. “Please?” she queried only to be met by him shaking his head. 

“No… my name. It sounds hot as hell coming out of your mouth.” His face was strained, almost pleading.

“Ben,” Rey exhaled in almost a sigh. “Ben, please…” 

He didn’t need any further encouragement. Drawing her right nipple into his mouth, Ben licked and teased her with his tongue and teeth. His hand came up to cup her left breast and he teased her nipple with his fingers. 

Rey felt like her entire body was turning into a molten liquid, and it was all settling between her thighs. She ground against his hard length, trying to find some relief, but all she managed was to build more tension. Her hands were knotted in his hair, holding on for dear life, wanting this torture to go on forever. Suddenly he pulled his head up, shifted his grip to her ass and looped her legs around him, and stood up. She had imagined this before, but the physical reality was so jolting in its’ intensity that she gasped. He was so tall, and he had the juncture of her thighs pressed to his abdomen - she felt like she was perched in a tree. They were eye to eye at this height, and he captured her lips with his again. He started to walk.

“Where are we going?”

“Bedroom. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it where we have some room.” 

***

Ben almost felt drunk, holding this living flame in his arms. Her soft skin against his hands and mouth were testing his ability to show any restraint at all, despite what he’d said to her earlier. He carried her to the bedroom because he knew his control was slipping. One more moment of her nipples in his mouth and her pussy grinding on him, and he would have fucked her right there on the floor in front of the couch. There was no way he was going to mess this up by rushing — he could feel every damn thing she was feeling, and by God he was going to make sure she was good and satisfied tonight. 

Maybe he could talk her into staying the night — after all, she had hit her head, he should keep an eye on her. In the morning he’d get out his full-face costume, send Hux onto the floor to buy her something to wear, and they could go out through the Con together, blending in with all the other costumed couples. Tomorrow was the last day for this Con, and they had to head to the New York stop on this never-ending movie junket, but he had 2 days of free time between appearances. He could rent a car, take her to her place, wallow face down in her for 36 hours, and still make it to New York on time. Who knew - maybe he could convince her to come with him? At least to New York — Boston might be more than she could get away for. But Rey was demanding his attention, pulling him away from future plans and into the present. And the present was feeling very much like a gift, right now.

He managed to open the bedroom door while not letting go of Rey’s glorious ass, and kicked it shut behind them. The room had a king sized bed (the only thing he ever demanded in an event rider), and the light was soft and indirect from the ceiling fixtures. Good. He wanted to see this girl, and he didn’t need her to get tense under harsh light. He laid her down across the bed, her bra still pulled below her breasts, wearing dark gray leggings with an unmistakable wet patch at the juncture of her thighs. He traced over the wetness with a finger, murmuring, “Oh, Rey. Is this all because of me?”

She turned a deep shade of red, but she still smiled. “No one else,” she confirmed, boldly. “You’re wearing too many clothes. Please… take off your shirt?” 

Who could argue with a woman like that? Ben pulled his sweater and undershirt off, tossing them aside, and crawled over her on the bed. She unbuckled his belt, whipping it out of the belt loops and tossing it, knocking over a lamp. 

It fell to the floor with a dull thud, but did not shatter. 

“Ignore it. Nothing broke,” Ben told her. 

He dove into the crook of her neck, suckling gently in a way that made her legs stiffen and her hands tremble. He slid his hands behind her back, unhooked her bra, and drew the straps down her arms with his teeth. In a fit of impatience, she pulled him back up for another kiss.

Their bare chests settled against each other, skin to skin, heart to heart. Their emotions were reverberating between them - wonder, joy, desire, awe, disbelief… and something else that Ben couldn’t name yet. Rey ran her hands down his back, clutching at his ass and pulling him closer to press against her. He had other plans.

Working his way down her torso, lavishing attention on her breasts, Ben kissed his way down to her navel, reaching her waistband.

Rey sat up suddenly, and her hand flew to his shoulder. Ben frowned and looked up at her, confused.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I just haven’t…I don’t... I mean, one time a guy tried, but…” Ben broke her off.

“Rey, baby, are you saying that no one has ever made you come with their mouth?” He asked, slightly disbelieving. 

“Um… yeah. One time a guy tried, but it was just… weird. And I could tell he didn’t like it, so it hasn’t been a thing I’ve done, and I don’t want you to do it if you don’t like it because that would be extra weird, and…” 

“Rey.” 

“Ben?”

“Are you saying that I will have the honor of being the first guy to make you scream from eating your pussy?”

Rey gasped a laugh at that. “I wouldn’t have thought of that as an honor, honestly.”

Ben’s eyes darkened. “Any time a person allows another person that close, it should be considered an honor. It’s very intense, it’s sexy, and I can’t wait to taste you. I really want to make you feel as good as you deserve.” He stroked his hands over her thighs, waiting for her reply.

Well… if you’re sure…” Ben had never been more sure of anything. He gently laid a hand on Rey’s stomach, urging her to lie back down, and when she did, he began to roll her leggings off. She had a pair of small white cotton panties underneath, and Ben moaned quietly. He lowered himself over her, licking her through the thin cotton, tugging at the fabric with his lips, and running his fingertips under the edge. Rey squirmed, trying to make him do more, but he was waiting for her to ask. To offer. 

“Ben? Please? Take them off… I need you to…” her voice trailed off, but he felt what she meant through her shyness. This woman had not had anyone satisfy her in a long time, and it was time to change that. He smiled up at her, swept her panties off in a quick move, and brought her legs up over his shoulders. He could feel the waves of embarrassment coming from her, but he focused on sending her reassuring, sexually charged pulses, and lowered his lips to her core. Teasing gently, he started with light licks, circling her clit. Listening to her moans and her pulses of desire, made his already hard erection ache. 

He felt her embarrassment dissolve as she began to ride a wave of pleasure. 

Rey’s hands found his head, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, holding on as he centered his attention directly on the clit and began to suck. Her legs began to kick the air, trying to find purchase or a way to ground herself, but he wanted to keep her flying. She was getting close, he could tell. He slid one finger inside her, sucking all the while, and crooked it just slightly, stroking gently back and forth. 

***

Rey had never felt anything like this. Her vibrator might have to go in the trash when she got home - this was a revelation. He kept teasing her insides with one finger, sucking her clit like it was a piece of candy, and then he added a second finger, stretching her a bit further. 

“Holy shit, Ben!” He had hit a spot inside her that was making her entire body hum. She couldn’t handle much more. “Please, Ben! I need to come - please let me come!” Somehow he must have been holding back the tiniest bit, because when she begged him for release, he stroked her front wall just that much harder and higher, and she shattered, screaming his name. Lights were pulsing and dancing behind her eyelids, and there was a roaring in her ears as the blazing throbs racked her body. Ben stayed between her thighs, gentling and easing her down from the best orgasm she’d ever had, until she was back in her own body again.

She looked down at him, and his expression was a combination of awe and smug pride.

“Did that seem weird, Rey?” She shook her head, her verbal ability done for the time being. “Did you think I didn’t like it?” Again, she shook her head. “May I do it again? Because you have the sweetest pussy I’ve ever tasted, and making you come like that has me as hard as a rock.” 

“Ohhh my God.” she said with a trembling voice. How could she ever handle another climax like that? Besides, surely it was his turn, wasn’t it? “Uh… actually, please come up here. I want to touch you now.” Ben moved up on the bed so quickly it was almost comical. With shaking hands, Rey unzipped his pants, slipped her hand inside, and... “OH. Oh my.” She looked him in the eye and said, “Apparently the other thing they say about men with big hands is true, too!” He gave her a soft laugh, then guided her hand over his length through his straining boxer briefs. Lord have mercy, he was long and thick. She had never had a guy that large, and she felt a small wave of anxiety rise about her ability to take him. She should have been more careful with her feelings, because Ben stilled her hand.

“Remember. Nothing you don’t want. But I know you’ll be able to take me. It’s all about being ready,” he reassured her. Of course, he knew. 

Rey knew that he wouldn’t hurt her. If it was all about being ready, they were in luck. Rey was ready. She was so ready. 

“Get those off, if you please.” she crooned, looking up from under her eyelashes at him. Ben shucked his pants and underwear, kicking them off the edge of the bed, and leaned up over her on one elbow. 

“Rey, you’re so beautiful,” he moaned softly, stroking her hair back from her face. “How in the hell did I get lucky enough for you to be in my bed?”

“Well, there was a head injury involved…” They stared at each other for a moment, and broke into peals of laughter. “I love watching you laugh, Ben. You have the best smile I’ve ever seen.”

“No, Rey. That can’t be right, not when I’m looking at the most beautiful smile in the world. You’re so full of goodness, I can’t believe people don’t follow you with flowers and singing songs.” he murmured to her, tickling her ear. His naked length was blazing heat against her outer thigh.

“Are you picking on me?” she wondered aloud. Before she even formulated the question, she knew the answer - he wasn’t capable of lying to her. She knew if and when his words and emotions didn’t match, and there had not been a single moment where she needed to doubt him.

“Never, Rey. You’re a… Rey of sunshine.” She rolled her eyes at the pun, and rolled him onto his back. She straddled him and trapped his cock between her thighs, and ran her hands lightly over his chest, teasing lightly, feathering over his nipples. He caught his breath.

“I’m not all sweetness and light, mister.” With that, she bent to kiss and lick at his collarbone, then each of his nipples in turn. Ben’s hands came up to grip her thighs firmly, as though to anchor himself, and drew a shaky breath. Rey smiled, realizing that she was having as profound an effect on him as he had on her. She slid downward, kissing his abs, breathing lightly into his navel, and finally came to his straining cock. Gently, she wrapped her hand around him, sliding up and down his considerable length. 

Peeking up at Ben, she noticed that his eyes were closed tightly, and his hands were grasping at comforter beneath him. With a satisfied smile, Rey slipped her mouth over the head of his cock. Ben made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a groan, and began to utter fragments of sentences.

“Oh God… so good, Rey. So good. How do you…? Oh, man… “ After only a few delicious moments of taking him into her throat, hearing him moan, he sat up suddenly and pulled her up by her arms. 

“It was going too fast - couldn’t… couldn’t hold on much longer…” He hissed through his teeth, pressing his forehead against hers. “I… take it back. You aren’t some Disney princess. You’re a fucking siren, leading me to my death.” He crushed her to him again, and rolled them over so he was on top. Their kisses quickly turned passionate, and she writhed against him, reveling in the pressure of his body over hers. It felt safe, like he could protect and guard her from anything while he was covering her body with his.

Rey had her legs wrapped around him and his cock was poised at her entrance. 

Dimly, she remembered something. She hadn’t been on birth control for the past year, and she was not carrying any protection. Shit. She’d have to ask. “Do you have a condom?”

“Damnit! Yes, one second.” He scrambled back and pulled a foil packet out of the nightstand. 

“Prepared, were you?” she teased gently, as he rolled the condom on.

“Actually, this hotel stocks them along with the minibar. This one condom is going to cost $4 on the bill later.” He muttered, as she adjusted the sheath over himself.

“Well, I’ll try to make it worth the price,” she joked, but it made him grow serious. 

Ben knelt down, and took her cheek in his hand. “I know you’re joking, Rey, but I want you to know that if I were paying what this was worth to me, I would never be able to afford it. You are worth everything I have, and a lot more.” 

Rey nearly choked with emotion. Every pulse, every feeling he sent through their bond agreed with what he said. He valued her that highly. She could only gaze into his eyes, while a tear trickled down her cheek. He bent to kiss it away, pulled her close again, and felt between her legs to be sure she was still ready. 

She mustered all her empathic control and sent him a pulse that meant I’m ready. Please take me. His shock at such a clear, controlled message was overshadowed by his answering pulse. Of course, Rey.


	4. Chapter 4

he mustered all her empathic control and sent him a pulse that meant I’m ready. Please take me. His shock at such a clear, controlled message was overshadowed by his answering pulse. Of course, Rey. 

***

Rey wrapped her legs around his waist, and he reached between them to guide himself into her, sliding into her heat one delicious inch at a time. And he was right - he might have been big, but Rey was there, stretching and taking every bit as he slowly moved, pumping shallowly until he finally bottomed out, his balls pressed to her thighs. They stayed that way for a moment, panting. His forehead touched hers and their breath mingled as they waited, letting themselves enjoy the moment. Sweat broke out on Ben’s upper lip as he held steady. He didn’t want to move just yet. There was peace here, in Rey’s arms, and he wanted to savor each second of it. 

Suddenly, Rey rolled her hips, forcing him to move, and he slid his hand under her ass to anchor her. 

The fluid slide of his cock in and out of the tightest, wettest pussy he could ever imagine was driving him crazy - he was not going to last long at this rate. 

Rey’s voice in his ear and pulses in his mind reminded him that he had to get her off first, and though he wasn’t a praying man, he begged whatever forces were at work in the universe to let him hold out until he could make her scream again.

***

Rey was already halfway to another climax the moment he began to move, but then he brought her knee up and put it over his shoulder, deepening the angle and hitting that one amazing spot inside her again. 

Over and over, she felt like she was being lifted higher and higher with no end in sight. The tension would have to break sometime, right? She couldn’t keep building forever. He filled her body, as her mind filled with him, too.

Holy fuck, Rey.

Ben! Ben, I don’t know how much more I can take! 

I know, baby, I can feel it. Hold onto me. I’ve got you.

I’m going to come - oh my God, I’m coming…

Let go, Rey. I want to see you come all over my cock. I want to see you come undone all over me. Come on, baby. 

Rey didn’t just shatter. She fell apart, gloriously, holding nothing back. She was shocked by a gush of fluid seeping out between them, soaking the hotel comforter beneath them, and the sweet shocks kept jolting through her body for what seemed like hours. Ben was only a moment behind her, his movements more abandoned and wild than she had seen yet, letting himself finally release. He exploded, pressing his face into the mattress beside her with a strangled moan that sounded like drawn out version of her name. He slid his arms under her, holding her tight as he laid on top of her body, and gently rolled them both to the side so they could both rest, snuggled close to each other.

Wow, she thought. 

Mmmhmm. Baby, that was incredible. I’ve never felt like this before. 

Neither have I… you’re wonderful. She sighed, and thought to herself, I love this man. God help me when he leaves.

Really? You mean that? You love me? Ben’s hands were smoothing over her back and arms, and they tensed suddenly.

Ice water ran through Rey’s veins. Did he hear that? Did she hear that? She had felt emotions before from other people, but never WORDS. Never actual thoughts! She had lost rack of whether she had been speaking out out loud during their lovemaking, but she had thought they had been whispering in each other’s ears. Did she just have a conversation with Ben Solo in her head, the man who had physically turned her inside out and made her scream, and flat out confessed her love?

“Ben?” Her voice sounded very small.

“Yes, Rey?”

“Did I just… did I just hear your thoughts?” He sat up quickly in shock. 

“No? I don’t think… I mean, was that what that was? I thought we were just… talking. Quietly. What did you hear me say?”

“That… that this was incredible. That you’ve never felt like this before.” Ben’s eyes widened, and he whispered,

“And you said ‘I love this man, God help me when he leaves’, didn’t you?” Rey should be beyond embarrassment by now. He’s been in her body, in her mind, and in her heart, all in one evening. But she still had trouble nodding. Ben’s eyes lit up and he took her face in his hands, claiming her lips in a tender kiss.

I love you too, Rey. I love you so much, you beautiful, brave, tough girl. How did I make it this long without you? The words vibrated through Rey’s bones, even if they hadn’t been spoken out loud.

He kissed away the tears that were rolling down Rey’s cheeks. 

“Rey, baby, it’s OK. I’ve got you. This is amazing — we are so good for each other, do you see that? This just proves it. We can hear each other — that doesn’t just happen!” His face was joyful, but his statement made Rey sniffle. 

“Ben, you’re leaving tomorrow!… I don’t know what to do with this feeling! I’m supposed to go home and write 6000 words about you, and you’re supposed to go off and do your Hollywood stuff. What good is us being in love going to do? How the hell do I deal with hearing your voice in my head and remembering the best sex of my life, when you’re going to be thousands of miles away from me?”

Ben stared at her for a moment.

“Come with me.” The way he said it made it clear that it was a statement, not a question. 

“What?”

“Come with me. At least to New York. I have 2 free days. We can spend them together. I’ll help you write your article, and I’ll give you details that no one else has. We can get lunch, walk around the city, and then go back to the hotel and make everyone wish that the damn walls were soundproof.” Rey made a sound that was half laugh, half sob.

“And then what, Ben? We’ll be back to you having to leave. Me having to stay and work.”

“Are you sure? Maybe we could see about you working remotely. Who did you say your editor was, again?”

“Amilyn. Amilyn Holdo.” Ben’s face twisted in a strange grimace that was half smile and half horror. 

“Wait — Amilyn HOLDO is your editor?” He sounded like he didn’t know whether to laugh or strangle someone.

“Yeah. Resistance Magazine. I do lifestyle pieces for her. Why?” 

Ben ran his hands through his hair and sighed, “Because Amilyn Holdo is my godmother. She’s an old friend of my mom’s...at least, she was before Mom passed.”

It wasn’t the first surprise of the evening, or even the biggest, but Rey’s mouth hung open for a moment in shock. “Amilyn. Is. Your. Fucking. GODMOTHER? Are you serious? And she didn’t say anything to you about setting up this interview? Were you IN on this?” Rey was aghast.

“No, Hux set up all the interviews. And I doubt she could have used any godmother-ly influence on him — he’s soulless. It’s considered a plus in his line of work. She just set it up with her usual contacts. I had no idea she was even involved!”

“Your godmother. Is my boss. And she… set us up? I mean, is that what happened here, or am I reading too much into it?”

“Let me just give her a quick call. It’s only 11, she should still be up.”

***

In her lovely Philadelphia apartment, Amilyn Holdo was stretching her neck, trying to release the tension that always cropped up when she brought the monthly layout home to proof. Poe, her husband, came up behind her and started massaging her shoulders.

“Honey, maybe you should give a rest for the night. You look so tense.”

“You know I have to have this done before the 15th, dear. I’m just… tweaking it a little.”

“I know you, Amilyn. If I let you stay up, you’re going to move things around in the layout until one, wake up at six on a fucking Sunday morning, panic, and move everything right back to where you started. How about we, just for once, skip that step and you trust that you laid it out properly?” Amilyn smiled up at him, and put her hands over his to pull him down for a hug. He squeezed her from behind the chair, wrapping his arms around her torso. “Trust your gut, honey. You have good instincts.”

Amilyn sighed and closed her laptop. Damn him, but he was right about this. Just as she stood up and turned around for a real hug, she heard her phone buzz. Ben Solo was calling! She flashed a quick look of surprise at Poe, showed him the caller ID, and he raised his eyebrows.

“I’m so not leaving the room for this call, hon.” He grinned, folded his arms, and perched on the arm of the couch, clearly waiting to hear whatever was happening with her godson. “I want to hear if this went well, or blew up in your face!” Amilyn rolled her eyes and pressed ‘answer’ on her screen.

“Ben! So good to hear from you! How’s the junket going?” she crooned.

***  
Rey chewed a fingernail as Ben called his godmother… her boss. Would she be fired for inappropriate conduct? Would Amilyn ever let her out on another assignment again? Or would she be sidelined to writing about flower shows? Ben gave her a reassuring smile - of course, he was calm about it. His godmother wasn’t going to cut off contact with him over this! 

Don’t worry, Rey. I’m not going to let anything happen here. If this is what I’m guessing, she’ll be thrilled. And if it isn’t, a journalist dating a interview subject isn’t grounds for firing.

I sure hope not, but don’t give everything away, OK?

“Hi, Auntie Amilyn. Pretty good - I met your reporter, Rey, today.” Right to the point. Classic Ben.

Amilyn’s voice was crackly through Bens’ phone. “Oh, yes! Great kid - she’s young, but she has a lot of promise, and I figured you would be a great subject for her to interview. How did it go?” She sounded a little too casual.

“Well, she nearly ended up with a concussion thanks to the crazed fans here.” Ben paused for a second, before he continued. “I’m just curious, Amilyn, how can you run a left-wing publication like The Resistance and not have health insurance that covers ambulances? She nearly burst a blood vessel when I offered to call one!” 

“I’ll take it up with HR on Monday morning. Ambulances are weird, privatized services here in Pennsylvania, so it makes coverage hard here, but I’ll try to make sure we do better. Usually we cover them after the fact, Rey would just have to bring us the bill so she could be reimbursed. Was she OK?”

“She’s fine — I’ll put her on speaker.” Ben couldn't be sure, but it sounded like his godmother gasped audibly. Removing the phone from his ear, he pressed the speaker button and Rey spoke up. 

“Hi Amilyn! I’m OK, just a bit of a headache. But I wanted to see about the possibility of working remotely for a few assignments?” she questioned. No answer came from the other line for a moment. 

***

Amilyn’s mouth dropped open and she covered the phone. “She’s still there! With Ben!” She whispered to Poe, then continued in a calm, concerned voice, “You mean you’re still there? Rey, you live an hour drive from Atlantic City, how are you going to get home? Do you need the magazine to cover a cab?”

“No… I think I’ll be OK here. For the night.” Rey sounded a little stilted, which was a dead giveaway that she was trying to cover being embarrassed. Amilyn’s eyes went wide. Was this playing out the way she had hoped? Was Ben was just being a gentleman and taking care of an injured party? she wondered.

“Really? Ben, your thoughts? Is she OK there?” she asked. 

“More than OK, Auntie. I’m not letting her out of my sight for the foreseeable future.” Amilyn silently jumped up and down, grinning and pumping her fist in the air. She continued casually,

“Well, Ben, if you’re so concerned about her health that you can’t let her out of your sight…”

“OK, lay off, you faker.” Ben’s deep, amused voice rumbled through the phone. “You know you can’t lie to me, and you never could. I think I know what you were up to, sending her to do the interview.”

Amilyn bit her lip, smiling. “And?”

“Well, boss, I was asking about the ability to work remotely?” Rey offered. Apparently that was all that Rey wanted to give away about the subject. Amilyn wondered if there was a way to get more information without prying into her employee’s personal affairs.

Ben interrupted, sounding smug. “Possibly from L.A.?” He clearly didn’t mind Amilyn drawing a few more conclusions.

Amilyn heard the phone get muffled, as though someone put their hand over it, and thought she heard Rey say “Really?” and Ben say “Please? There’s even a great bike co-op in L.A. And a few custom hat shops.”. Amilyn gave a delighted little silent dance to Poe’s amusement. Then she pulled herself together, cleared her throat and used her most professional, serious voice.

“Rey, I’d like your piece about Ben submitted via email in three days, and I will be happy to email you the next few assignments. I also may be able to hook you up with an Airbnb friend so you can keep your apartment and not worry about the rent while you’re gone. I’m… I’m so glad you’ll be travelling. Together.”

There were some strange, sputtering sounds from Rey before she finally said, “Thank you, Amilyn. But…” There was a pause while Rey seemed to be deciding what to say, “Did you do this to set us up? Or was it some sort of coincidence that your godson was the guy I had a crush on, and you set up an interview for me to conduct?” 

Amilyn knew she was cornered, but didn’t intend to give up the game so easily. “Well, first, let me just say that I think you’re both terrific people, and…”

“Just answer the question, Auntie,” Ben’s voice broke through. 

“We do need the interview. It’s going to be fantastic, and I wouldn’t have sent you if I didn’t think you could do the job.” Amilyn said firmly. “However,” she continued, “there may have been a teeny tiny piece of me that wanted to see what would happen if you two crossed paths. You could say I had a gut feeling that something could come of it,” she said, with a wink to Poe.

“Well, that’s nice, Auntie. But how did you know we might hit it off? She could have been one of those weird underwear thieves, after all.” There was a small smacking sound, as though Rey had hit him playfully in the arm. “All you had to go on was knowing she was a fan.”

“Well, yes, I did see that she had good taste in men when I saw her computer, sweetie. There’s also something else though - something about her that reminded me of you when you were little. Remember how you would go up to people who were sad, even if they didn’t really LOOK sad, and tell them jokes, or offer them a piece of candy? Or how you knew, even before I told anyone we were dating, that Poe and I were getting married? Rey is like that. She just has a way about her - she understands other people, and she makes everyone get along better. We’re going to miss that quality in the office, let me tell you.”

“Auntie, you were right this time. She’s very special, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to let her get away.”

Amilyn felt a few tears prickling in her eyes. “Ben, Rey, I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. And not just because I love to be right.”

“Yes she does!”, yelled Poe in the background.

“Shut up, Poe!” Amilyn retorted. She continued in a kinder voice, “Your mother would have loved Rey, too. She’s an independent, strong, smart woman, and she’ll keep you on your toes, so you better treat her right, OK?”

His voice deepened seriously. “You have my word. Good night, Auntie.” 

Rey interrupted, “Good night, Amilyn, I’ll submit everything as soon as possible.”

Amilyn Holdo hugged her husband with glee, touched a photo of her old friend Leia.

“I’m looking out for him, like I promised, Leia. And I think I got to play Fairy Godmother for a promising young writer, too,” she told the picture, before Poe swept her off to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't actually been to a Con - all my knowledge comes from friends and Youtube, but the potential crowd crush seems like a plausible event outside a popular panel.
> 
> My fabulous beta reader, PureProse, questioned the minibar condoms - they are becoming a thing at certain hotels, though I don't go to hotels that HAVE minibars and haven't seen them, so let's just have a willing suspension of disbelief, mkay?
> 
> Kudos and comments are gladly welcomed - just know that this is my first time writing fiction in a long while, and my very first fanfi


End file.
